Thursday, August 21, 2014

Hello Mr. Portelance,I found your blog site online about sailing around the Montreal area. Unfortunately I do not have a boat, but was wondering instead, if maybe you could help me find some information.You have obviously spent a lot of time on the water around Montreal, and I was wondering if you knew of anybody whom offers Sailing Tours. I have not been on a sailboat since I was a child, and therefor don't have much of any experience, and have never had a big interest in sailing myself. I ask, because I lost my father recently. He passed away at Lakeshore Hospital in Pointe-Claire. In his younger days he was an enthusiastic sailor. He even had his own boat (although sold it many years ago).One of his final wishes, were to have some of his ashes left in the St Lawrence river (since that is where he spent so much of his life). I felt that rather than going on a small cruise boat, it would be a fitting tribute to go out in the boat that he loved so much.Do you know of any companies or persons who sell rides? I ask only because I have had a lot of difficulty trying to find any companies who provide tours online.Thank you so much for taking the time to read my email.Yours truly,John Doe

Griffin Sailing Tours would be happy to take you out I am sure. They do short tours up and down Lac St. Louis. 2 people can go for 2 & 1/2 hours for $80. Like the boat Etienne mentioned, the Griffin boat is a larger comfortable sailboat. Griffin Sailing Tours home base is near the locks in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. Click the link above to go to their webpage.

Ralph Stocek

Hello John,

Beaconsfield Yacht Club has a learn to cruise program. You can certainly schedule an hour with an instructor on a comfortable 27ft keel boat. Their number is 514 695-1272.
Tony Pattison at Baie d'Urfé Yacht Club also runs a learn to cruise program through his sailing school: Ynotsailing. He has 3 locations: Pointe-Claire, Baie d'Urfe and Gananoque. His number is 514 622-3397.

These are the two sailing schools that use keelboats with a cabin on Lake Saint-Louis that I know of. If your father enjoyed sailing, you will find that scattering his ashes from a sailboat is the most appropriate way to go about your mission.

If you don't mind getting your feet wet, Ecole de Voile de Lachine can also certainly accommodate you with a sail on a smaller sailboat.

Good luck in finding the best way to proceed with your father's last wishes. Hopefully, you might also discover an activity you would like to do more of.

Monday, August 11, 2014

A lot of SLYVRA (St. Lawrence Valley Yacht Racing) members in the Shark Class went
to the U.S. National Championship this weekend in the nearby and
gorgeous Mallet's Bay, Vermont. A whopping fleet of 10 teams from BYC,
CVDM and PCYC sailed their hearts out and performed well in a regatta of 23 entries.
Conditions were light but good after a delay, still allowing for 4
highly-competitive races. Sunday, one race was completed but most of the
fleet DNF'd. A great regatta was put on by wonderful volunteers and
Shark friends. Top three SLVYRA teams were Chimere (BYC, 3nd), Nuisance
(PCYC, 4th), Ketchup (maybe 5th or 6th, PCYC, final results still to be
posted).

Our team, sailing on Ambitious, #901 did very well placing 14th overall. This was our only away-regatta this year. Having just club racing thus far for practice, going into a highly-competitive one-design regatta was a good challenge! We managed to best some more competitive boats in 2 particularly strong races. This tells me the team continues to improve, and the sailing just gets better and better. We have some more good challenges coming up. They will all be local, with the most competitive probably being the Coupe du Quebec Shark Championship in September. Collette sailed her heart out as usual, and it was great having our good friend, current competitor, and Team Ambitious alumni, David Bowen on board.

Chimere (BYC) is becoming the Top Dog of Montreal sail teams with their victory at the Trillium regatta in Toronto, and this performance at Mallet's Bay. Look forward to an exciting performance by Chimere when Team Ambitious mid-crew Collette joins Helmsperson Marion (and I believe Toby's daughter on foredeck?) for this week's Womens' National Keelboat Championship hosted by PCYC. Fellow Montreal Sailing blogger, Etienne sailed with his team on Ketchup. Crackerjack team that they are, I knew they would be a distant speck ahead on the horizon. This summer, I found that we often mange to stay a little ahead during club racing. However, that is contingent on them having their kids on board and either under their feet, or playing on the low side! Well done Ketchup!All ten SLVYRA teams sailed hard and passionately at this regatta, and it is wonderful to see Montreal teams making our sport so successful.http://www.ussharknationals.com/